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Synonyms

wicked

American  
[wik-id] / ˈwɪk ɪd /

adjective

wickeder, wickedest

  1. evil or morally bad in principle or practice; sinful; iniquitous.

    wicked people;

    wicked habits.
    Synonyms:
    villainous, infamous, heinous, dissolute, depraved, corrupt, profligate, immoral, blasphemous, profane, impious, godless, ungodly, unrighteous
    Antonyms:
    virtuous, good

  2. mischievous or playfully malicious.

    These wicked kittens upset everything.

  3. distressingly severe, as a storm, wound, or cold.

    a wicked winter.

  4. passing reasonable bounds; intolerably bad.

    wicked prices;

    a wicked exam.

  5. having a bad disposition; ill-natured; mean.

    a wicked horse.

  6. spiteful; malevolent; vicious.

    a wicked tongue.

  7. extremely troublesome or dangerous.

    wicked roads.

  8. unpleasant; foul.

    a wicked odor.

  9. Slang. wonderful; great; masterful; deeply satisfying.

    He blows a wicked trumpet.

adverb

  1. Slang. very; really; totally.

    That shirt is wicked cool.
wicked British  
/ ˈwɪkɪd /

adjective

    1. morally bad in principle or practice

    2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the wicked

  2. mischievous or roguish, esp in a playful way

    a wicked grin

  3. causing injury or harm

  4. troublesome, unpleasant, or offensive

  5. slang very good

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What are other ways to say wicked?

Someone or something wicked is morally bad in principle or practice. But calling someone or something wicked isn’t quite the same as calling them bad, evil, or ill. Find out why on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

  • quasi-wicked adjective
  • quasi-wickedly adverb
  • unwicked adjective
  • unwickedly adverb
  • wickedly adverb
  • wickedness noun

Etymology

Origin of wicked

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English wikked, equivalent to wikke “bad” (representing adjective use of Old English wicca “wizard”; witch ) + -ed -ed 3

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You’ve got to be wicked smart to get into Chicago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Director Kang Mi-so shouts across the set at an actor playing the role of the "wicked" aunt.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

What better way to show the world a new side of yourself than to play the equally wicked fictional brother of one of modern literature’s most notorious slashers?

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

In Hamburg, Leipzig took the lead with 66 minutes gone when Diomande's speculative effort took a wicked deflection and landed in the net.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

“The Phlegethon keeps the wicked in one piece so that they can endure the torments of the Fields of Punishment. I think...it might be the Underworld equivalent of ambrosia and nectar.”

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.